Inside STAT: New fetal surgery for spina bifida may be safer for both baby and mom

GILDA AND ARNUF GIRON WITH THEIR NEWBORN DAUGHTER, ABIGAIL. (KENDRICK BRINSON FOR STAT)

For many expecting parents who learn that their growing baby has spina bifida — a birth defect that that could mean possible paralysis and other nerve damage — the diagnosis often means a lifelong shunt in the child’s brain. Those who choose not to terminate the pregnancy but want another option may now have a new surgical alternative, one that operates on a 25-week fetus fetus directly in the womb. The procedure is supposed to be easier for both the mother and the growing baby, and early results from a pilot trial seem promising. STAT contributor Usha Lee McFarling has more on the Giron family’s experience with the new operation here.